First Look into ‘Waiting for Hassana’

Directed by Nigerian-American filmmaker Ifunanya ‘Funa’ Maduka, Waiting for Hassana tells the story of the Chibok abductions from the perspective of Jessica, a one single voice of the 57 escapees, as she waits for her best friend, Hassana.

“This contained and intimate film introduces a new point of entry into the Chibok kidnappings. We know the global story, now we hear the personal one,” Maduka says in a press release. “As the director, my aim was to visually and sonically plunge audiences into the psychological and emotional landscape of our subject. My hope is that audiences will leave feeling inextricably linked to her life and her story—that it will become as much their story as it is hers. That radical intimacy is, to me, the basic and necessary function of art. It was also important to me that a Nigerian told this story, and I am proud that our crew reflects that drive.”

The film screens today at TIFF as part of the Shorts Program 8 and it debuted at this year’s Sundance International Film Festival. This is Maduka’s directorial debut.

“Waiting for Hassana seeks to reframe the narrative about the Chibok abductions by emphasizing the strength and perseverance of an interrupted friendship that is both a source of profound pain and intense motivation to pursue a better life through education,” the release says.